PLASTICISERS • OXO-ALCOHOLS

Ethylene is one of the major chemical building blocks and the largest of the olefins (by sales volume). Its main use is as the monomer for various forms of polyethylene. Ethylene is produced by steam cracking, predominantly of naphtha in Europe and Asia, and of ethane in North America and the Middle East. Co-products are propylene and a C4 stream containing butadiene. Ethylene is also used to produce vinyl acetate and as a co-monomer in other types of resin. Although propylene is growing in importance, the demands of the ethylene market still mainly drive the operation of steam crackers.

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Propylene is the second of the major olefins, after ethylene. It is co-produced together with ethylene in steam crackers and also by refinery cat-crackers and, increasingly, dehydrogenation of propane. Propylene has become much more than just a co-product. It is growing faster than ethylene and various processes for on-purpose propylene production have been developed to provide incremental capacity. Propylene's major derivative is polypropylene but it is also used to produce acrylonitrile, plasticiser alcohols and other chemicals.

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The feedstock for propylene trimer (trimer) is extracted from crude C3 refinery streams. Whilst its price is geared to available capacity the alternative uses for the base feedstock streams also play a big part. Depending on the refinery configurations these may be for propylene monomer or as a gasoline component. Principal uses are for nonyl phenol and for isodecanol (IDA).

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Over 70% of the phthalic anhydride production is based on orthoxylene with the remainder using naphthalene feedstock. Phthalate plasticisers are the most important and largest end-use for phthalic anhydride. The other main uses are in unsaturated polyester resins, alkyd resins and various other applications.

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This product is produced from phthalic anhydride and 2-ethylhexanol in an esterification process. It is used to soften PVC . DOP is a low molecular weight phthalate and has been classified as a Category IB Reproductive Agent. It is on the REACH Candidate List in Europe for authorisation and is classified as a substance of Very High Concern (SVHC), so production in Europe is minimal now. In North America has also been significantly reduced and its mostly used in medical applications. In other regions DOP has also lost market share against other plasticisers, especially DOTP.

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This product is produced from phthalic anhydride and iso-nonanol in an esterification process. It is used (often by an intermediate compounder) to soften PVC – make flexible. DINP is a high molecular weight phthalate and does not require classification for health and environmental effects under REACH and does not need to apply for authorisation. The European Commission has confirmed that DINP poses no risk to either human health or the environment in its current uses. BASF first developed a non-phthalate plasticiser, DINCH (hydrogenated DINP) and has been followed by other producers, including Evonik and UPC, which have started production of hydrogenated DINP.

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This product is produced from phthalic anhydride and iso-decanol in an esterification process. It is used (often by an intermediate compounder) to soften PVC and make it flexible. DIDP is a high molecular weight phthalate.

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Also known as DEHT, di-octyl terephthalate is produced from the reaction of terephthalic acid (PTA) or dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) and 2-ethylhexanol in an esterification process. DOTP is used as a general purpose plasticiser to soften PVC in applications such as flooring, wall paper and cable and wire. As a tere-phthalate product DOTP competes against ortho-phthalates plasticisers. In some regions it has been replacing DOP, after this product was placed on the REACH Candidate List in Europe for authorisation and is classified as a substance of Very High Concern (SVHC).

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This alcohol product is normally produced in a plant along with butanols (n- and iso) with propylene feedstock used in the oxo reaction to produce butyraldehyde. Around two-thirds of worldwide demand is used to produce the phthalate plasticiser, DOP, but volumes are decreasing in the more developed economies as DOP faces substitution from non-phthalate, but nevertheless 2-ethylhexanol consuming, plasticisers such as DOTP (di-octyl terephthalate), TOTM (tri-octyl trimellitate) and DOA (di-octyl adipate). 2-EH also finds application in a number of non-vinyl outlets such as 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl nitrate (cetane improver) and surfactants.

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n-Butanol/iso-butanol (often in roughly a 4:1 ratio) are usually produced in a plant with 2-ethylhexanol by applying the oxo reaction to propylene to produce butyraldehyde. n-Butanol is the more commercially important product, significant outlets are acrylates, glycol ethers and acetates..

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This product is an oxo alcohol which competes with 2-ethylhexanol. It can be produced either in a flexible oxonation plant, using a C8 stream, or in a dedicated plant from C4 feedstock. About 97-98% of global demand is used in the production of the plasticiser, DINP.

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This product is an oxo alcohol which is normally produced in a flexible oxonation plant, using a C9/trimer stream, along with iso-nonanol and other plasticiser alcohols. Around 95% of total worldwide demand is consumed in producing the plasticiser, DIDP. ExxonMobil is the largest producer of iso-decanol worldwide.

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